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Venue: Selhurst Park Date: Tuesday, 10 January Kick-off: 2000 GMT Coverage: Watch live on Sky Sports 1 and highlights on The League Cup Show; listen on
BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC Sport website
Palace manager Dougie Freedman is looking to lead the club to their first major cup final since 1990
TEAM NEWS
Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freedman hopes to recall several regulars rested in the FA Cup defeat at Derby.
However, a sickness bug that has affected several unnamed players has delayed the naming of his squad.
Cardiff defender Kevin Naughton has been declared fit, having missed the last three matches with a calf strain.
Midfielder Craig Conway could again be included after playing in the FA Cup at West Bromwich Albion, but Rudy Gestede is a doubt with an ankle problem.
MATCH PREVIEW
The first leg of this all-Championship League Cup semi-final has been eagerly awaited by both clubs in the six weeks since they overcame Premier League opposition to reach the last four.
DID YOU KNOW?
Crystal Palace are featuring in their fourth League Cup semi-final but are yet to reach the final.
Crystal Palace famously triumphed 2-1 at Manchester United in the quarter-finals to give their supporters one of their best nights in recent years, while Cardiff overcame Blackburn 2-0 at the Cardiff City Stadium. Six of that Blackburn side then went on to beat 3-2 Manchester United in the Premier League on New Year's Eve.
Both managers, Dougie Freedman at Palace and Cardiff's Malky Mackay, arguably sacrificed potential FA Cup runs with this match in mind. There were a combined 17 changes to the respective starting line-ups for the FA Cup defeats at Derby and West Bromwich Albion, although, in Palace's case, a sickness bug resulted in several younger players being drafted in.
Freedman starred in many a big match for Palace during a decade-long stay as a player, over two spells, and he will now be looking to inspire the club from the dug-out. Mackay has settled into the Cardiff hot-seat seamlessly after his summer switch from Watford. The club boast the second best home record in the Championship, so a positive result for the Bluebirds in south east London will put the Welsh club in the box seat ahead of the second leg in a fortnight.
Whatever the outcome over the two matches, this tie guarantees that a club from outside the top flight will be in the final for the first time since Birmingham City lost to Liverpool at Cardiff in 2001.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Palace have never lost to Cardiff in three previous League Cup matches, winning two and drawing the other.
Cardiff have won on two of their last three trips to Selhurst Park.
The two clubs will meet again at Selhurst Park on the final day of the Championship season.
Crystal Palace
Palace have lost their three previous League Cup semi-finals. They were eliminated by Arsenal in 1992-93 and Liverpool in both 1994-95 and 2000-01.
The Eagles have scored two goals in each of their last seven home League Cup ties.
Palace have lost only once at Selhurst Park in this competition in six years: a 2-0 second-round defeat by Manchester City in August 2009.
Dougie Freedman's side have won only one of their last six league matches at Selhurst Park.
Cardiff
This is Cardiff's second appearance in the last four of the League Cup. They were beaten 10-3 on aggregate by West Ham at the semi-final stage in 1965-66.
Malky Mackay's men have not conceded in either of their last two League Cup matches.
The Bluebirds have lost four of their last six away League Cup encounters.
Cardiff have lost only one of 13 league games.
BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC Sport website
Palace manager Dougie Freedman is looking to lead the club to their first major cup final since 1990
TEAM NEWS
Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freedman hopes to recall several regulars rested in the FA Cup defeat at Derby.
However, a sickness bug that has affected several unnamed players has delayed the naming of his squad.
Cardiff defender Kevin Naughton has been declared fit, having missed the last three matches with a calf strain.
Midfielder Craig Conway could again be included after playing in the FA Cup at West Bromwich Albion, but Rudy Gestede is a doubt with an ankle problem.
MATCH PREVIEW
The first leg of this all-Championship League Cup semi-final has been eagerly awaited by both clubs in the six weeks since they overcame Premier League opposition to reach the last four.
DID YOU KNOW?
Crystal Palace are featuring in their fourth League Cup semi-final but are yet to reach the final.
Crystal Palace famously triumphed 2-1 at Manchester United in the quarter-finals to give their supporters one of their best nights in recent years, while Cardiff overcame Blackburn 2-0 at the Cardiff City Stadium. Six of that Blackburn side then went on to beat 3-2 Manchester United in the Premier League on New Year's Eve.
Both managers, Dougie Freedman at Palace and Cardiff's Malky Mackay, arguably sacrificed potential FA Cup runs with this match in mind. There were a combined 17 changes to the respective starting line-ups for the FA Cup defeats at Derby and West Bromwich Albion, although, in Palace's case, a sickness bug resulted in several younger players being drafted in.
Freedman starred in many a big match for Palace during a decade-long stay as a player, over two spells, and he will now be looking to inspire the club from the dug-out. Mackay has settled into the Cardiff hot-seat seamlessly after his summer switch from Watford. The club boast the second best home record in the Championship, so a positive result for the Bluebirds in south east London will put the Welsh club in the box seat ahead of the second leg in a fortnight.
Whatever the outcome over the two matches, this tie guarantees that a club from outside the top flight will be in the final for the first time since Birmingham City lost to Liverpool at Cardiff in 2001.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Palace have never lost to Cardiff in three previous League Cup matches, winning two and drawing the other.
Cardiff have won on two of their last three trips to Selhurst Park.
The two clubs will meet again at Selhurst Park on the final day of the Championship season.
Crystal Palace
Palace have lost their three previous League Cup semi-finals. They were eliminated by Arsenal in 1992-93 and Liverpool in both 1994-95 and 2000-01.
The Eagles have scored two goals in each of their last seven home League Cup ties.
Palace have lost only once at Selhurst Park in this competition in six years: a 2-0 second-round defeat by Manchester City in August 2009.
Dougie Freedman's side have won only one of their last six league matches at Selhurst Park.
Cardiff
This is Cardiff's second appearance in the last four of the League Cup. They were beaten 10-3 on aggregate by West Ham at the semi-final stage in 1965-66.
Malky Mackay's men have not conceded in either of their last two League Cup matches.
The Bluebirds have lost four of their last six away League Cup encounters.
Cardiff have lost only one of 13 league games.
Last edited by Scouser_Dave on Tue Jan 24, 2012 10:26 pm; edited 1 time in total
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